JPH05193438A - Reactor for air bag module - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To efficiently suck the ambient air of an effective amount by a sucking unit of an air bag module by forming an air intake opening, a gas outlet opening, a venturi channel terminating in the gas outlet opening and an air aspiration passage between the intake opening and the venturi channel by cooperating side walls with traverse walls. CONSTITUTION: Traverse walls 42, 44 of the reaction device 12 are provided with venturi channel 46 extended from side wall 38 to the other side wall 40. An air aspiration passage is extended from an air intake opening 56 to the channel 46 around a cylindrical inflator housing 34. High speed gas is generated at a low pressure in the channel 46 to guide the ambient air flow from the opening 56 to the channel 46 around the housing 34, The ambient air speed is accelerated as flows from a convergent part 48 to a throat 52 of the channel 46, mixed with the generated gas to form an expansion fluid, which is fed from a gas exhaust opening 53 to an air bag 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a reactor for a vehicle air bag module, and more particularly as part of an inflation fluid that supports an air bag inflator and draws ambient air from the vehicle and inflates the air bag. It relates to a reactor forming an aspirator for using said ambient air.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Vehicle airbag systems serve to protect the occupant of a vehicle from injuries in the event of a collision or assault. The basic components of a car airbag system are an airbag and an inflator. The airbag is stored in a contracted state in a vehicle dashboard or a storage location in a steering wheel. When an assault occurs, the inflator quickly produces a large amount of gas. This gas is delivered to the airbag, deploys the airbag in position on the front of the passenger of the vehicle, and at the same time inflates the airbag. When inflated, the airbag restrains the occupant of the vehicle from impacts on the relatively stiff parts of the vehicle. In many known airbag devices,
Suctioned air, i.e. ambient air drawn from outside the inflator, is used in the inflation process. In particular, the gas generated and released by the inflator induces ambient air flow from outside the inflator. This ambient air mixes with the inflator gas to form an inflation fluid. Inflation fluid is delivered to the airbag to deploy and inflate the airbag.

An example of an intake air bag device is USP of Hass.
No. 3,632,133. The Hass patent discloses a passenger side airbag device and a collapsible airbag having a container structure that can be inserted into a vehicle dashboard.
The device also comprises a nozzle-type aspirator member located within the container and a cover that closes the container and forms part of the dashboard. The nozzle shaped member is in fluid communication with the passenger compartment via a passage in the dashboard. An inflator is connected to the nozzle shaped member and installed therein. The inflator has a cylindrical housing and a gas release mechanism formed at one end of the housing. The outgassing mechanism communicates with the throat of the nozzle shaped member. When the inflator is activated,
Gas from the inflator is sent to the throat of the nozzle-shaped member from the gas discharge mechanism of the inflator. Air is drawn into the nozzle shaped member and mixes with the gas of the inflator to form an inflation fluid which is delivered to the airbag to deploy and inflate the airbag. Ha
The intake air bag device disclosed in the ss patent is deployed in a vehicle by gradually installing various components of the device into the dashboard of the vehicle. However, nowadays it is desirable to have an airbag module that can be assembled outside the vehicle and mounted in the assembly as a complete unit. Such an airbag module can be assembled by mass production technology and installed in a vehicle. Also, such an airbag module can be efficiently replaced after the airbag is deployed. The structure of a known airbag module comprises an airbag, a metal reaction can loaded with an inflator, and a cover closing the can to complete the module.
The reaction can is connected to a part of the car structure so that the module can be connected to the car. Another known module configuration is illustrated in USP 4,915,410. The reaction plate and cup-shaped cover are joined together to form a cavity for the inflator and the airbag. The airbag and inflator are connected to the reaction plate. The reaction plate is adapted to be connectable to a part of the vehicle structure for connecting the module to the vehicle. In any of the above module configurations, the reactor, either the reaction can or the reaction plate, is a structural element for connecting the airbag and inflator and to the vehicle to integrate the module into the vehicle.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful reactor for supporting an airbag inflator and forming an aspirator for the airbag module. The reactor is specifically designed to support a cylindrical inflator and form a suction device. The aspirator efficiently aspires an effective amount of ambient air, mixes the air with the gas from the inflator to form an inflation fluid, and delivers the inflation fluid to a vehicle airbag.

[0005]

The reactor of the present invention comprises a pair of spaced side walls and a pair of spaced transverse walls extending between and connecting the side walls. The side wall and the transverse wall work together (i) an air intake, (i)
forming an intake passage between (i) a gas outlet opening, (iii) a Venturi passage terminating at the gas outlet opening, and (iv) a venturi passage between the air intake and the venturi passage. The side wall is designed to support the cylindrical inflator in a specific arrangement in the intake passage. The arrangement of the inflator is such that gas from the inflator is delivered to the throat of the venturi passage and an effective amount of aspirated air can efficiently flow around the inflator and to the venturi passage.

According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the sidewalls are substantially parallel to each other. The transverse walls face each other and have continuous interior surfaces that span the width of the reactor (ie, the distance between the parallel side walls). The continuous inner surface of the transverse wall forms a venturi path consisting of a converging portion, a bifurcating portion, and a curved throat connecting the converging portion and the bifurcating portion. The parallel sidewalls support a cylindrical inflator that spans the width of the reactor and comprises an outer cylindrical housing located transverse to the direction of suctioned air flow. The cylindrical inflator housing has a gas distribution nozzle facing the throat of the venturi passage. Gas from the inflator flows out of the gas distribution nozzle and is sent to the throat of the Venturi path. This gas directs ambient air flow from around the inflator housing to the Venturi path. The airflow flows relatively smoothly around the cylindrical inflator (like the airflow around the airfoil) and is efficiently sucked into the venturi passage. In the venturi passage, this air mixes with the gas of the inflator to form an inflation fluid. The inflation fluid flows out of the venturi passage and into the airbag. Hereinafter, the features of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0007]

EXAMPLE As shown in FIG. 2, a vehicle airbag module 1
0 comprises a reactor 12 constructed according to the present invention, comprising an inflator (schematically indicated at 14) and a bent airbag 16. Cover 20 (shown in phantom)
Is connected to the reactor 12 Joule 10 to complete the airbag module 10. The airbag module 10 is assembled outside the vehicle and installed in the vehicle as a complete unit. When the airbag module 10 is installed in a vehicle, the reaction device 12 is coupled to the vehicle structure to transmit a force between the airbag module 10 and the vehicle structure. The structure for connecting the reactor 12 to the car is USP 4,842,3
It may be any of a number of known structures, including the No. 00 structure.

The reactor 12 has a rear end 24 and a front end 26. The inflator 14 includes a rear end portion 24 of the reaction device 12.
Will be installed near. The airbag 16 is preferably made of a fiber material such as nylon and is installed near the front end portion 26 of the reaction device 12. The airbag 16 has bolts 32
Alternatively, it has a gas inlet opening 30 that is secured to the reactor 12 by a similar fastener. Inflator 14
Consists of a cylindrical housing enclosing a gas busbar and a filter structure (not shown). The gas busbar and filter structure may be of any known configuration, including the configuration disclosed in USP 4,696,705, which is the preferred configuration. Alternatively, the inflator may contain a constant gas under pressure. At the time of collision, the gas busbar ignites and a large amount of inert gas such as nitrogen is generated. This gas is filtered and a gas distribution nozzle 36 formed in the housing 34.
For rapid delivery through the cylindrical housing 34. . The gas delivered from the cylindrical housing 34 induces an inspiratory flow through the reactor 12 as described below. The gas and the sucked air from the inflator are sent to the airbag 16 and the airbag 16 pressurizes the cover 20.
Cover 20 has certain design weaknesses (eg, grooves 35) that divide cover 20 into segments when pressure is applied. The airbag 16 thus presses the cover and the inflator. Reactor 12 includes two spaced parallel side walls 38, 40 and two spaced transverse walls 42, 44 extending between and intersecting the side walls. The shapes of the side walls 38, 40 basically follow the space of the vehicle prepared for the reactor 12. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the sidewalls 38, 40 has a rounded rear end 38, respectively.
a, 40a. Each sidewall slopes outwardly from its rear end and terminates in flat leading edges 38b, 40b. Further, each side wall 38, 40 extends from the rear end 24 of the reactor 12 to the front end 26 of the reactor 12.

The transverse side walls 42,44 each have inner surfaces 42a, 44a that are substantially continuous and face each other. The inner surfaces 42a, 44a form a venturi passage 46 (see FIG. 2) having a converging portion 48, a branching portion 50, and a throat 52 connecting the converging portion and the branching portion. Venturi path 46 spans the width of reactor 12. That is, the venturi passage 46 extends from one side wall 38 to the other side wall 40. The branch 50 of the venturi path 46 terminates in a gas release opening 53.
The wide end 54 of the converging portion 48 of the venturi passage 46 and the rounded trailing edges 38a, 40a of the sidewalls 38, 40 cooperate to form an air intake 56 at the rear end 24 of the reactor 12. The air intake 56 is in fluid communication with the wide end 54 of the bifurcation of the venturi passage 46. Inflator 14
Are inserted into reactor 12 through holes (not shown) in sidewall 40. One end of the inflator housing 34 has a threaded shaft that allows the inflator 14 to be secured to the opposite side wall 38 by a nut. The other end of the inflator 14 can be fastened to an end cap (FIGS. 4 to 6) with a bolt, a rivet or the like. The end cap 60 closes the hole formed in the sidewall 40 after the inflator 14 is inserted into the reactor 12. Such structures are well known to those of ordinary skill in the airbag art. When the inflator 14 is properly installed in the reactor 12, the cylindrical housing 34 of the inflator spans the width of the reactor 12 and the central axis 62 of the inflator is installed perpendicular to the side walls 38,40.
Further, the cylindrical housing 34 extends partially to the converging portion 48 of the venturi passage 46, and the gas distribution nozzle 36 faces the throat 52 of the venturi passage 46. The inflator 14 has a locating boss (not shown) designed to be received in a recess in a member (not shown) secured to one of the side walls. Such bosses and recesses ensure that the inflator is properly positioned within the reactor 12.
Gas vent opening 53 in venturi path 46? Has a flow area that is significantly smaller than the flow area of the air intake 56.

Thus, as mentioned above, both the inflator 14 and the venturi passage 46 are in line with each other and span the width of the reactor 12. Rear end 24 of reactor 12
Of the air intake 56 is open, and the intake passage extends from the air intake 56 around the cylindrical inflator housing 34 to the venturi passage 46. If desired, a screen filter (not shown) can be placed on the air intake 56 to filter air particles entrained from the air intake 56. When the inflator 14 is activated, an inert gas is generated and the inflator housing 34 is driven at high speed.
The gas is distributed from the gas distribution nozzle 36 inside. This evolved gas is immediately sent to the throat 52 of the Venturi path 46. When the high-velocity gas flows through the venturi passage 46, a low pressure is generated in the venturi passage 46 to cause the ambient air flow to flow into the air intake 56
From around the cylindrical inflator housing 34 to be guided to the venturi path 46. The speed of the ambient air is
Rises as it flows through to the throat 52 of the Venturi path 46. At the throat 52 of the Venturi path 46, this air mixes with the evolved gas to form an inflation fluid. Then
The inflation fluid is delivered to the airbag 16 through the branch 50 and the gas release opening 53 of the venturi passage 46.

The above structure is valid (significant).
t) The amount of ambient air is efficiently sucked into the airbag 16 together with the gas generated from the inflator.
The air intake 56 is approximately twice the size of the gas discharge opening 53, thereby allowing an effective amount of ambient air to flow through the reactor 1.
It can be taken into 2. Since the transverse walls 42, 44 and the cylindrical housing 34 of the inflator 14 span the width of the reactor 12, airflow through the intake passage occurs across the width of the reactor 12. Furthermore, the air flow around the cylindrical housing 34 is fairly smooth, corresponding to the air flow around the airfoil. Positioning the gas distribution nozzle 36 of the inflator 14 facing the throat 52 of the venturi passage 46 provides an efficient way of directing ambient air flow into the intake passage and the venturi passage 46. As mentioned above, the airbag 16
Mouth 30 is secured to reactor 12 by bolts 32 or similar fasteners. More specifically, the reactor 12 has a peripheral flange 66 surrounding the gas discharge opening 53 of the venturi passage 46. The flange 66 has an opening 68 for receiving the bolt 32 extending from the airbag material at the mouth 30 of the airbag 16. As in FIG. 1, there is a space 70 between the top and bottom of venturi passage 46 and flange 66. These spaces are opened or closed as needed or desired, and (i) intake of additional air or (ii) backflow of fluid from the airbag 16 after the airbag 16 has been inflated and hit by a vehicle occupant. To enable. Furthermore,
Flexible flapper values
(Not shown) can be used to cover the space 70 but limit suction of additional air or backflow of fluid from the airbag 16.

Similarly, as shown in FIG.
The gas outlet opening 53 of FIG. 3 can be covered with a flexible door that prevents or limits the backflow of fluid flowing from the airbag 16 to the gas outlet opening 53 of the venturi passage 46.
Although the present invention has been described as a preferred embodiment, it is self-evident that equivalent modifications and improvements can be made by those skilled in the art after reading the above specification. The present invention includes such modifications and improvements and is limited only by the appended claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a schematic perspective view of a reactor according to the present invention supporting a cylindrical inflator.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an airbag module having a reaction device according to the present invention.

3 is a schematic partial view of the airbag module of FIG. 2 showing the gas flow generated by the inflator and the inhalation during inflation of the airbag.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the structure of FIG.

5 is a rear view of the structure of FIG.

6 is a front view of the structure of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view of a reaction device and a inflator in which a flexible door is attached to a front end portion of the reaction device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Airbag module 12 ... Reactor 14 ... Inflator 20 ... Cover 16 ... Airbag 24 ... Rear end (rear edge) 26 ... Front end (front edge) 34) Housing 36 ... Gas distribution nozzle 38, 40 ... Parallel side wall 42, 44 ... Transverse wall 46 ... Venturi path 48 ... Converging section 50 ... Branch section 52. .. Throat 53 ... Gas discharge opening (gas outlet opening) 56 ... Air intake

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] February 27, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Claims]

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A pair of spaced sidewalls and a pair of spaced transverse walls extending between and connecting the sidewalls, the spaced sidewalls supporting an airbag inflator. The spaced side walls and the spaced transverse walls cooperate to provide (i) an air intake, (ii) a gas outlet opening, (ii).
A reactor for an air bag module, comprising: i) a venturi passage terminating at the gas outlet opening; and (iv) an intake passage formed between the air intake and the venturi passage. 2. The spaced transverse walls each have inner surfaces that are substantially continuous and face each other,
The inner surfaces of the pair of transverse walls cooperate to form a converging portion of the Venturi path, a bifurcation of the Venturi path, and a throat connecting the converging section and the bifurcation.
Reactor. 3. The spaced side walls are capable of supporting a cylindrical inflator having a cylindrical housing parallel to each other and extending between the side walls and a gas distribution nozzle facing the throat of the venturi passage. 2 reactors. 4. A flange structure is connected to portions of the side wall and the transverse wall forming the gas outlet opening, and the flange structure can be attached to a vehicle airbag. 3 reactors. 5. Each of the sidewalls has a trailing edge and each of the transverse walls has a trailing edge that forms the wide end of the converging portion of the venturi path. The reactor of claim 2 wherein the edge and the trailing edge of the side wall form the air intake. 6. The flow area of the air intake is substantially larger than the flow area of the gas outlet opening.
Reactor. 7. A reactor and a cylindrical inflator connected to the reactor, the reactor comprising a pair of spaced sidewalls and a pair of spaced apart sidewalls extending between and connecting the sidewalls. A transverse wall, the spaced side walls and the spaced transverse wall working together to terminate at (i) an air intake, (ii) a gas outlet opening, (iii) the gas outlet opening. Venturi Road, and (iv)
An air intake passage is formed between the air intake port and the venturi passage, the cylindrical inflator has a cylindrical housing having a gas distribution nozzle, and the cylindrical inflator extends between the side wall and the side wall. An apparatus for forming an airbag module, the apparatus being supported by a housing. 8. The spaced transverse walls face each other,
8. The apparatus of claim 7, which also has a substantially continuous inner surface that cooperates to form a converging portion of the Venturi path, a bifurcation of the Venturi path, and a throat connecting the converging portion and the bifurcation. 9. The inflator is installed with (a) a portion of a housing installed in the converging portion of the venturi passage, and (b) a gas distribution nozzle facing the throat of the venturi passage. 8 devices. 10. The device of claim 9, wherein each of said cylindrical housing and said transverse wall spans a distance between said pair of spaced apart devices. 11. The pair of sidewalls are parallel to each other, and the cylindrical housing of the inflator has a central axis disposed perpendicular to the pair of parallel devices.
0 devices. 12. The reactor includes a flange structure connected to a portion of the side wall and the transverse wall forming the gas outlet opening, the flange structure being attachable to a vehicle airbag. 8. The device of claim 7, which is 13. Each of the side walls has a trailing edge and each of the transverse walls has a trailing edge forming a wide end of the converging portion of the venturi path, the rear of the transverse wall. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the rim and the trailing edge of the sidewall form the air intake. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the flow area of the air intake is substantially larger than the flow area of the gas outlet opening.